History of the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway

Rudyard Lake Steam Railway

The current 10.25 inch gauge railway at Rudyard dates from 1985. It was built by Peter Hanton of Congleton over the period from 1985 to 1993. He did this working largely on his own. His account od development is lower down this page. He sadly started to suffer from poor health and sold the railway in October 2000 to the Rudyard Lake Steam Railway Ltd. This is a company formed by Mike & Eileen Hanson to own and develop the railway.

Along with a talented group of volunteers works has proceeded steadily to achieve this.

Current 2011 Events and developments are set out in full on the News page. Earlier years are linked to below.

The Nicholson Miniature Railway 1976-78

This was a 10.25 inch gauge railway running from the car park to the Dam head and constructed by Brian Nicholson headmaster of Waterhouses School . It used a model of Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway No.1 E.R. Calthrope. It was moved to Suffolk and then Trago Mills In Devon where it still runs managed by Brian’s son David.

North Staffordshire Railway ( Churnet Valley Line) 1850-1964

This standard gauge railway connected Macclefield to Uttoxeter. Used for local passenger trains and goods. The North Staffordshire Railway owned the lake due to ownership of the trent & Mersey canal and spent a lot of time and effort to develop Rudyard to boost tourism. They bought the Rudyard Hotel and expanded it. Promoted special events and fought a court case to have the right to develop tourism. In time the traffic fell away after local management went first into the London Midland and Scottish Railway and then British Railways. The line close to passengers in 1960 and goods in 1964. It was lifted soon afterwards North of Leek station.

Detailed History pages of the current railway

2000 & 2001 The start of the new era

Rudyard Railway Images Two steam engines double head a train in the early days

Visiting steam engine Bray Valley ( Now Tryfan) came in 2002 and 2005

The start of the railway

The Development of the Railway by Peter Hanton (This is his own account)

Construction of the line began in December 1984 and passenger services commenced from Rudyard Station in August 1985 over a length of 300 yards and this was progressively increased by a further 100 yards by October 1985.

Easter 1986 saw the inauguration of services to the Dam giving an overall length of 700 yards. During 1986 a larger locomotive shed was constructed and run round loops installed at Rudyard and the Dam.

Work on the extension beyond the Dam started in September 1987 and regular services to lakeside commenced in August 1988. The line was then extended beyond Lakeside loop to the terminus at Hunthouse Wood over the next few years formally opening in 1993.

The original Locomotives:

No.1 Kingsley 0-4-0 Diesel Mechanical powered by a 3HP Peter AVA1. Built in 1954 by Curwen and Newbury of Devizes. Operated previously on the Shillingstone Light Railway in Dorset where is was named Belle.

No.2 0-4-0 Petrol Mechanical powered by a 1000cc BMC engine. Built about 1969 by Terry Stanhope of Leeds as a 2 foot gauge engine. Later rebuilt to 15 inch gauge. Acquired by Peter Hanton in 1971. in March 1973 it was tested on the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

It was re-guaged in early 1986 and arrived at Rudyard the following June. Various modifications were necessary and it was not until December that it entered regular traffic.

No. 5013 Ivanhoe 4-4-0 Steam

Built in 1937 by HCS Bullock incorporating various parts from a Stirling single ex Pitmarston Moor Railway. It ran at California in England near Eversley in Hampshire then approximately 1938 to Kerrs Miniature Railway at Arbroath in Scotland.

Early in 1947 it was sold to the Royal Anchor Railway at Liphook in Hants and again in 1953 to a mr. George Woodcock of Bishop Stortford who extensively rebuilt it including fabricationg a new smokebox and fitting larger diameter driving wheels.

It was bought by Peter in 1954 and ran on short lines at Gamesley near Glossop and Eaton, Congleton, Cheshire. A new copper boiler was constructed in 1976 and the engine entered service at Rudyard in May 1987. It is now in Hampshire.